As is well known the minimum elements of a CRT system are a reference electrode, or cathode, a control electrode, or grid, and an anode. When the system is energized the voltage at the control grid is typically negative with respect to the cathode and the voltage at the anode is very positive with respect to the voltage at the cathode. In a television receiver the voltage between the cathode and grid may be on the order of -100 volts and the voltage between the cathode and anode may be on the order of +25 Kvolts. When the receiver is de-energized, some time will elapse before the anode voltage decays and, if the anode voltage decays more slowly than does the scan of the electron beam across the CRT, the beam current will be concentrated on a small area, or spot, on the face of the CRT. If excessive, the increased current density in that area will result in brightness sufficiently intense to damage (i.e. burn off) the luminescent phosphor on the screen of the CRT. This invention is directed to a reliable and cost-effective means for suppressing such spots upon de-energization of the receiver.